Japan's government has announced it will allow its Self-Defense Force to conduct offensive cyber-operations starting October 1st. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara cited the nation's increasingly complex national security environment and growing digitalization as justifications. A government cyber-management committee will approve or deny applications for cyber-ops, with police and SDF authorized to attack and disable infrastructure used in cyberattacks. This move is framed as 'proactive cyber-defense' and follows legislation passed last year. Japan currently ranks in the third tier of global cyber powers, behind the US and nations like China, France, and Israel.
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